Talk:Flame Thrower

The following discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section.

Requested move

 Not moving: it has become clear that a move to the title "Flame Thrower" would be against the wishes of the community. Despite being the used title for the weapon in-game, "Flame Thrower" is not favoured over the current title for the article at this time. seb26 [talk] 21:15, 24 September 2010 (UTC)

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This quote should help those still undecided to make their decision. -- Benjamuffin 05:22, 29 August 2010 (UTC)

“

Looking at the in-game localization text, I can see we’re already inconsistent ourselves, so I don’t think it’s a big issue. I’d pick whichever one you want to go with, and call it that. If you get nitpickers complaining about it, add a note to the pages saying that the game itself is inconsistent. — Robin Walker on titles/weapon names

”

Flame Thrower vs Flamethrower

In-game, this weapon is referred to as the Flame Thrower. -Shine () 15:47, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

 Support: -Shine () 15:52, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

 Weak support: My support for this is a little weaker, as Valve always refer to this as "Flamethrower" everywhere outside of the backpack. -- Pilk _(talk) 16:01, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: I much prefer Flamethrower. It's a real-life term that's used in-game and I have never heard anyone refer to it as a Flame thrower. Also, the backpack/items is the ONLY place where it is referred to as such, everywhere else is flamethrower --Firestorm 16:03, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Flamethrower works, and it is often reffered to as such. -- Smashman... _{(t • s)} 17:14, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

 Support: While "Flamethrower" is more correct, if Flame Thrower is the in-game name, that is what we should follow. -- Nineaxis 17:21, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

I just saw an tip on the loading screen which used "flame thrower", so the backpack name isn't the only place there is the space. -- Nineaxis 22:18, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Valve refers to this as both the Flamethrower and the Flame Thrower, so this seems a bit unnecessary. Furthermore, as far as I can see, the TF2 community likes to refer to this weapon as the Flamethrower. -The Neotank ( | Talk) 22:30, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Flame Thrower sounds like fire breathing to me — Wind 01:28, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

 Support: If we change one weapon to match the in-game spelling, we have to do that for all of them. We can't pick and choose based on if we like it or not. It's inconsistent. -- En Ex _(talk) 02:09, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

 Support: I agree with Nineaxis. We have to document what the item name is in-game. The only reason I see the community and Valve using the correct term, is because that is on web pages/forums, so naturally it's not as solid as it is in-game. People likely don't pay attention when writing articles and forum posts, and probably just automatically type flamethrower, whereas other times, they may have made a mistake, or remembered the in-game title. At the end of the day, being a wiki for Team Fortress 2, I think it should be Flame Thrower till the in-game names change to reflect accuracy. The same applies for the other items.-- Benjamuffin 06:22, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

It might be worth adding a trivia piece regardless of what is chosen. For example: if Flamethrower, "In-game the Flamethrower is titled Flame Thrower, regardless of this being incorrect in reality" and if Flame Thrower, "Though the item is titled Flame Thrower in-game, the correct term is Flamethrower". -- Benjamuffin 06:26, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Basically what Firest orm said.--Nelson340 21:32, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Sounds strange. And it is a Flamethrower, not a Flame Thrower. --Picard lm(de) 14:54, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Flame Thrower looks bizzare. One exception should not be the defined rule. Noizeblaze 17:15, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

 Comment: How about having the article name be Flame_Thrower, but with DISPLAYTITLE Flamethrower? That way it's consistent URL-wise (works with item ID redirection script without redirects) but still displays the correct name for a weapon that spews flame — Wind 17:45, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

This is an excellent point... same with SMG maybe? -- Pilk _(talk) 18:26, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

I think that's a bad idea. I've never been been a fan of DISPLAYTITLE. It definitely should not be used on English pages. It'll just confuse the users. -- Smashman... _{(t • s)} 18:42, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

I don't know what's wrong with DISPLAYTITLE and I don't understand your third sentence --Firestorm 19:02, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

A nice suggestion, but this I think would only create further confusion between displayed name and actual article name. seb26 [talk] 20:46, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

I've always disliked DISPLAYTITLE and on Wikipedia it's outright disabled because looking at a title should instantly inform you as to which article you're on. For example, at the moment we have language pages that completely change the name of the article, I guess that's ok, but if it's the same as the English name, you have to look at the URL to see what language you're on. (Assuming you can't guess what language it is from the content).  – Smashman _(talk) 12:05, 5 September 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose. Currently, moving the page, fixing redirects, fixing all instances of the old name, etc, it all doesn't seem worth it just to be "accurate". Flamethrower is the term used greatly by the community and in the game and it should stay used by our articles – it does not make sense to change it all for what might even have been a mistake on Valve's part. seb26 [talk] 20:46, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Mixed bag due to the way it's used in-game, but I'd rather stick to "Flamethrower." -- Vi3trice _(talk) 22:51, 20 August 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: It's only referred to as the Flame Thrower in one place and Flamethrower looks better to the eye. - Not an IP 21:41, 22 August 2010 (UTC)

 Comment It's referred to as "Flame Thrower" in the loading menu tips as well as the backpack name. So that's more than one place. -- Nineaxis 22:48, 22 August 2010 (UTC)

Guys, though I already stated my thoughts above, I decided to ask Robin if he knew which were intentional and which were mistakes, and to see if he had any official view on the subject. He mailed me back with:

"Looking at the in-game localization text, I can see we’re already inconsistent ourselves, so I don’t think it’s a big issue. I’d pick whichever one you want to go with, and call it that. If you get nitpickers complaining about it, add a note to the pages saying that the game itself is inconsistent."

So in short, we just have to pick whichever looks/feels best, and donʻt have to worry about what it says in-game or which is more accurate. There is still a small matter of debate, but itʻs more about which looks better, is accurate, rather than what it is in-game or what is accurate to the Team Fortress universe.

My opinion is now: Übersaw as it is German, it helps you always pronounce it correctly, and seems the likely one of the two, Medigun as for me the word Medi feels unfinished, and Flamethrower, due to it being the accurate term (my original opinion was to mirror the game and be Flame Thrower, so this changed my view somewhat :D). -- Benjamuffin 17:58, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

That all sounds reasonable to me --Firestorm 18:07, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

 Support: Because Tough Guy's Toque is a tuque. If we're gonna canon-troll with names, we may as well go all in. MK 06:31, 29 August 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Why make a move just because of where it is mentioned once? The backpack refers to it as Flame Thrower, yes, but... the actual IRL thing is spelled flamethrower, it is called flamethrower in the game files, in the console's kill list, the Pyro Update page, in general TF2 community speak, etc. I believe a move to "Flame Thrower" would be entirely pointless and a waste of time and would only cause redirects on the wiki and possible confusion among the community. Stbeecher 06:34, 5 September 2010 (UTC)

 Comment: It appears that the achievements have it named as the flamethrower too. Interesting.  – Smashman _(talk) 12:01, 5 September 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Flamethrower is proper. It seems quite likely that even Valve will end up correcting this, since they refer to it as "flamethrower" nowadays outside of the game itself, anyway. Ryusuta 18:55, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: It's a flamethrower. "Flame thrower" only appears twice; flamethrower is the correct and more widely-used name. Tentacle 19:46, 10 September 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Well, Google and Wikipedia have it as one word, not two. -- RogueDarkJedi 01:42, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Well guys, I've just done a quick count and at the moment it's five supporting, and fifteen opposing, sixteen if you include my vote. Ben seems to have changed his mind, and Robin seems to admit that there's no real point in being this detail consistent. 03:46, 11 September 2010 (UTC)

 Oppose: Same reasoning as WDJ. Perhaps the TF2 wiki should introduce a similar policy to Wikipedia's Common Name article naming convention...? --Leftism 15:57, 20 September 2010 (UTC)

 Comment: That's not a bad idea at all...  – Smashman _(talk) 16:00, 20 September 2010 (UTC)

The preceding discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section.